Singeing method and means



Oct. 2, 1934. A. w. DE vou'r 1,975,196

SINGEING' METHOD AND MEANS Filed Jan. 27, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 jzwozeItfDe Vouz INVENTOR 68 avg WM 6 ATTORNEY Oct. 2, 1 934. A w 35 VOUTY1,975,196

SINGEING METHOD AND MEANS- Fild Jan. 27. 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ansozz ZL De Vol 1i INVENTO.R

ATTORNEY A. w. DE VOUT 1,975,196

SINGEING METHOD AND MEANS Filed Jan. 27, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I, Ill@52 llhull 1412601271 De Vout INVENTOR' BYgM ATTORNEY Oct. 2, 1934.

WITN s s duczm xw Oct. 2, 1934. v w 5 VQUT 1,975,196

smegma METHOD AND MEANS Filed Jan. 27. 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 n IImill/"NW" 14716012 WD eVout INVENTOR ATTORNEY sisting preferably of aPatented Oct. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,975,196 SINGEING ME'rnon AND MEANSAnson W. De Vout. Chicago, 111., assignor to Swift and Company, Chicago,111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 2'1,

1932, Serial No. 589,224

13 Claims. (01. 17-11) The invention relates to a poultry singer.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practicaland eflicient poultry singer of strong, durable and comparativelyinexpensive 5 construction adapted to be readily installed adjacent apoultry picking room and capable of enabling poultry to be readilyattached 'to an endless conveyor in a suspended condition and carried bythe endless conveyor past singeing burners and automatically turned atthe said bumersso that all portions of the poultry will be effectivelysinged by the said burners.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and set forthin the claims .hereto appended, it being understood that various changesin the form, proportion and minor details of construction, withinthescope of the claims, may be resorted to without departingfrom thespirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is an elevation of a poultry singer. constructed in accordancewith this invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same partly in elevation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of 0 a portion of thepoultry singer illustrating the manner of mounting the endless conveyorand the gearing for automatically turning or rotating the poultry.

- Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail transverse sectional 5 view takensubstantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the bearin Plate or member in which thepinion is mounted for tuming the poultry.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the same 4 on the line 6-6 ofFig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a detail perspective view of the bearing plate or member.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the horizontalrack bar. .45 Fig. 9 is a detail elevation of rack bar. 4

In the accompanying drawings in which are illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention 1 designates a horizontalrail supportconsuitable timber or timbers and arranged in spaced relation with theceiling 2 of the room in which the singer is installed, and suspendedfrom the ceiling by means of approxi-. mately inverted L-shaped hangers3. The

a portion of the hangers 3, which have upper horizontal portions anddepending vertical portions, are bolted to the ceiling and to the railsupport 1, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The railsupport 1 has mounted on ita horizontal rail 4 arranged in spacedrelation with the rail support 1 and pro- C9 vided at the side adjacentthe same with approximately L-shaped arms 5 which are suitably secured'to one of the side faces of the rail support. The timber constitutingthe rail support is arranged edgewise vertically and the rail prefer- 5ably consists of a flat bar arranged edgewise vertically and adapted toreceive trolleys consisting of a trolley hook 6 and a grooved trolleywheel 7. The grooved trolley wheel '1 is adapted'to run on the upperedge of the rail 4 and the trolley hook extends downwardly at one sideof the rail and inwardly .beneath the same, its lower supporting portion8 being located below and in the plane of the rail. The trolley hook isalso provided below the rail with a headed stud or pin 9 extending fromthe trolley hook at a point below the rail from one side thereof to theopposite side of the same and having a head 10 which projects abovetheplane of the lower edge of the rail so that the rail is confinedbetween the groove of the trolley wheel and the headed stud, whereby thetrolley is effectually prevented from leaving the rail.

The trolleys which are arranged at suitable intervals support an endlessconveyor chain 11 preferably composed of single and double links anddesigned to, be arranged on suitable sprocket wheels or pulleys (notshown). The double links are provided at intervals with integralvertical plates 12 having upper and lower portions 13 and 14 extendingabove and below the conveyor chain and arranged at the outer sidethereof so as not to interfere with the passing of the chain around thesaid sprocket wheels. The upwardly extending portion 13 is secured by abolt 15 to the lower depending portion of the trolley hook and the lowerportion 14 of the plate 12 is fitted in a recess 16 formed in the frontor outer side face of a bearing plate or member 1'1. The plate or member1? constitutes a bearing bracket and the lower portion 14 of the plate12 of the conveyor 10 chain fits snugly in the said recess 16 and issecured to the bearing plate 1'7 by a bolt 18 or other suitablefastening device.

The bearing plate 1'7, which is substantially oblong, is arrangedvertically and it is provided at its lower portion with a rectangularopening 20 and it has upper and lower bearings 21 and 22 in the top andbottom walls of the said opening 20 to receive a vertical shaft 23. Thebearing 21 consists of a'socket in which is fitted the upper .with ahorizontal rack or gear bar 25.

The pinion is preferably provided at its lower side with an extended hubor sleeve 26 which is enlarged at the lower portion to form a head 27and which is secured to the shaft 23 by a key 28 or other suitablefastening device. In assembling the parts the pinion is placed in theopening and the shaft 23 is passed upwardly through the lower bearingopening 22 and through the pinion the parts.

and sleeve into the upper bearing 21. The key 28 interlocks the pinionwith the shaft 23 and retains the shaft in the bearings. The dependingportion of the shaft 23 is provided with an eye 29 to which a poultryshackle 30 is connected by a hanger rod 31 or other suitable means.

The horizontal rack bar which is provided with vertical teeth 32 to meshwith the teeth of the pinion may be of any desired construction and itis provided at the top and bottom with flanges 33 extending outwardlybeyond the teeth 32, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings toprevent the gear from becoming disengaged from the rack bar through anyvertical movement of The horizontal rack bar is secured adjacent itsends by bolts 34 or other suitable fastening devices to the inner orrear sides of inverted approximately U-shaped angle iron frames 35. Thebolts 34 are extended horizontally from the rack bar 25 and pierceflanges of the angle iron frames 35, spacing sleeves 36 being interposedbetween the rack bars and the adjacent sides of the frames 35, asclearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The bolts are provided at theirouter threaded ends with nuts 37 by means of which the horizontal rackbars and the spacing sleeves are tightlyclamped in position and rigidlysecured to the frames 35.

The frames 35 are arranged upon the rail support and extend rearwardlyfrom the same, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and thefront sides of the frames 35 are bolted or otherwise secured to the railsupport in abutting relation to the same. The front sides of the frames35 depend below the rail supports and support channel guides 38 whichare yieldably mounted and which fit against the bearing plate 17 aboveand below the pinion and urge the same toward the horizontal rack barand maintain the pinion in mesh with the said rack bar whilethe poultryis being carried past and subjected to the singeing action of upper andlower burners 39 and 40. The channel guide 38, which is composed ofupper and lower sides and a connecting vertical portion, forms a channelopening towards the horizontal rack bar and it extends substantially thelength of the latter and is supported by horizontal rods or bolts 41rigidly connected at their inner ends to the channel guide 38 and havingtheir outer portions slidably mounted in openings 42 in the lowerportions of the front sides of the angle iron frame 35. The outerthreaded ends of the bolts or rods 41 are provided with nuts 43 andcoiled springs 44 which are disposed on the bolts 41 are interposedbetween the channel guide and the front sides of the frames 35 foryieldably maintaining the channel guide in abutting relation with thebearing end of the shaft 23 which is vertical and the lowerplates 17passing between the channel guide and the horizontal rack bar. The nuts43 vary the effective length of the bolts 41 and are adapted to spacethe channel guides normally from the horizontal rack bars to provide anintervening space to enable the bearing plates 17 to readily passbetween the channel guide and the rack bar.

The bearing plates are provided with oppositely beveled front and rearvertical edges 45 to facilitate the passage of the bearing platesthrough the space between the channel guide and the horizontal rack bar.The chanel guide is slidably supported adjacent its ends by horizontalplates 46 rigidlyconnected at their outer portions to the lower ends ofthe front sides of the frames 35 and extending inwardly or rearwardlytherefrom to a point beneath the channel guide and forming supportingledges for the same. The ledges for supporting the channel guide may beformed by separate horizontal plates welded or otherwise secured to theframe, but ledges of any other desired construction may, of course, beprovided. The lower portions of the front sides of the-angle iron framesare preferably braced by a horizontal angle iron brace 47 secured to thesaid frames and arranged between outwardly extending flanges therof, asclearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The poultry shackle 30 suspended from rod 31 is more particularlydescribed and is claimed in the copending application which is adivision of this application, entitled improvements in Poultry shackle,filed November 2, 1932, Serial The endless conveyor chain may be drivenby any suitable means and the trolleys support the conveyor chain andalso the means for hanging the poultry and for turning the same. Whenthe bearing plate or bracket 17 is carried to the horizontal rack bar itpasses between the same and the channel guide and the pinion '24 mesheswith the teeth of the rack bar and rotary motion is communicated to theshaft 23 which causes a turning of the shackle and the poultry as thelatter is subjected to the singeing action of the upper and lowerburners 39 and 40.

The upper and lower burners 39 and 40 which may be of any desiredconstruction are preferably staggered, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1of the drawings so that they will operate on different portions of thepoultry and thoroughly singe the same while the poultry is passingthrough the singeing zone.

' The lower burner '40 extends upwardly from a horizontal arm 68 of avertical gas pipe 69 which is preferably suspended from the ceiling 2 bya floor plate 70. The upper end of the gas pipe 69 is preferably closedby a suitable coupling 71 which is connected by a short pipe 72 to thefloor" plate 70. The gas pipe 69 is connected at a suitable pointpreferably slightly below the coupling 71 with a service pipe 73 havinga suitable cook or valve 74 for controlling the flow of gas to the gaspipe 69. Also the burners 39 and 40 are provided with suitablecontrolling valves 75 and 76 to enable the flow of gas totheburners 39and 40 to be independently controlled.

What is claimed is:- a

1. A poultry singer. including an endless conveyor provided at intervalswith means for suspending poultry therefrom, means located in the pathof the poultry for singeing the same, and means for automaticallyturning the poultry while the same is passing the singeing means, saidmeans comprising a relatively fixed rack 1,978,1'98- 3 bar, a pinioncarried into and out of mesh with 'l. A poultry singer including a rail,a oir-1 the rack bar by the conveyorand connected with veyor chainlocated beneath the rail and pro-1 the poultry suspending means, and ayleldable vided at intervals with portions projec'ting -up-Q- guide inspaced relationship with the rack bar wardly and downwardly from thechain, trolleysfor maintaining the pinion in proper mesh with secured tothe upwardly projecting portions and so the rack bar while the pinion istraveling along arranged on the said rail, bearing plates secured saidrack bar. V to the downwardly projecting portion's'bf the 2. A poultrysinger includingan endless conchain, vertical shafts mounted in thebearing veyor provided at intervals with means for susplates andprovided with pinions, a rack bar ar- 1 pending poultry therefrom, meanslocated in the ranged'in the path of the pinions and adapted 85 path ofthe poultry for'singeing the same, and to mesh with the' same forrotating'th'e said means for automatically-turning the poultry whileshafts, poultry suspending means connected with the same is passing thesingeing means, said means the said shafts, whereby the poultry iscomprising a relatively fixed rack bar, a pinion when the pinions are-inmesh with the rack ban-1..

'15 carried into and out of mesh with the rack'bar and a yieldablymounted guide extending along 90 by the conveyor and'connected with thepoultry the rack bar in spaced relation with the same and suspendingmams, and a yieldably mounted arranged to engage the bearing plates formain channel guide bar in spaced relationship with the taining thepinions in mesh with the rack bar. rack bar having ts channel openingtowards the 8. A poultry singer including a rail, a conveyor 2' pinionand arranged to receive the same while chain located beneath the railand provided at 95 the pinion is traveling along the rack bar. Iintervals with portions projecting upwardly and- 3. A poultry singerincluding an endless condownwardly from the chain, trolleys secured toveyor provided at intervals with means for susthe upwardly projectingportions and arranged 4 pending poultry therefrom, means located in theon the said rail, bearing plates secured to the path of the poultryforsingeing the same, and downwardly projecting portions of the saidchain means for automatically turning the poultry and provided in theirlower portions with openwhile the same is passing the singeing means,ings, vertical shafts extending across the opensaid means comprising arelatively fixed rack bar, .ings and journaled in the bearing plates,pinions pinion carried into and out of mesh with the arranged in theopenings of the bearing plates at rack bar by the conveyor and connectedwith the and mounted on the said shafts, poultry suspend- 195 poultrysuspending means, a yieldably mounted ing means connected with the saidshafts, and channel guide bar having its channel opening a fixedhorizontal rack bar arranged in the path towards the pinion and arrangedto receive the of the pinions and adapted to mesh with the same samewhile the pinion is traveling along the rack for, rotating the shafts toturn the poultry. bar, and spaced ledges slidably supporting the 9. Apoultry singer including a rail, a conveyor channel guide bar. chainlocated beneath the rail and provided at 4. A poultry singer including arail, a conintervals with portions projecting upwardly and veyor chainprovided with trolleys arranged to downwardly from the chain, trolleyssecured to run on the said rail, bearing brackets arranged the upwardlyprojecting portions and arranged do at intervals and carried by theconveyor chain, on the said i ail, bearing plates secured to the 1shafts mounted in the bearing brackets and prodownwardly projecting p rn f the i hain vided with pinions, a relatively fixed rack bar arandprovided in their lower portions with openzranged in the path of thepinions and adapted to Vertical Shafts extending across the p mesh withthe same for rotating the said shafts, ings and journaled in the bearingplates, pinions and poultry suspending means connected with arranged in'the openings of h ri pl t s m the shafts whereby the poultry is turnedwhen and mounted on the said shafts, poultry suspendthe pinions are inmesh with the rack bar. ing means connected with'the' said shafts, afixed 5. A poultry singer includin a rail, a conhorizontal rack bararranged in the path of the I veyor chain provided with trolleysarranged to pinions and adapted to mesh with the same for run on thesaid rail, bearing brackets carried 'lotfl-t e S a ts to tu n t P ul y,8- guide 125 by and depending from the said chain, vertical barextending along the rack bar and arranged shafts mounted in the bearingbracket and proto P it the bearing p a e to P between the vided withpinions, a horizontal rack bar arrack bar and the said guide bar, meansfor slidranged in the path of the pinions-and adapted ably m u i theguide and p s 0 to rotate the shafts when the p ions are in meshyieldably maintaining the guide bar in engagewith the rack bar, andmeans depending from the nt W the hearing pla e vertical shafts forsuspending poultry therefrom A P y g r including a rail, '8. comforturning the poultry when th pinions r in veyor chain located beneath therail and provided mesh with the rackbar, and singeing means aratintervals with portions projecting upwardly ranged to operate on thepoultry while the same and downwardly from the chain. trolleys S d 1% isbeing rotated. to the upwardly projecting portions and arranged 6. Apoultry singer including a rail, a com on the Said rail; hearing PlatesS d tn he veyor chain located beneath the rail and prod w d y ProjectingP n the Said c a vided at intervals with portions projecting upa d pr vd d in t e lower portions with op m- 65 i wardly and downwardly from thechain, trolleys ings. vertical shafts extending a r ss th openings 14osecured to the upwardly projecting portions and a i ur d i i P pin n a1arranged on'the said rail, bearing plates secured ranged in the op o thehearing P s a d vt the downwardly projecting portions of the mounted on'the said shafts, poultry suspending chain, vertical shafts mounted inthe bearing means connected with the said shafts,aflxedhori- "4'0 platesand provided with pinions, a rack bar arzontal rack bar arranged in thepath of the pinranged in the ,path .of the pinions and adapted ions andadapted to'mesh with the same for roto mesh with the same for rotatingthe said tating theshafts-to turn the poultry, a guide bar shafts, andpoultry suspending means connected extending along the rack bar andarranged to with thesaid shafts, whereby the poultryisturned permit thebearing plates to pass between the Z5 when the pinions are in mesh withthe rack bar. rackbar and the said guide bar, means for slidablymounting the guide bar and springs for yieldably maintaining the guidebar in engagement with the bearing plates, said bearing plates tatingthe said shafts, a guide bar located at thev opposite side of the saidbearing plates, an approximately inverted U-shaped frame extending overthe said rail and depending at opposite sides of the same and theconveyor chain, fixed means carried by one side of the said frame forrigidly supporting the rack bar, and yieldable means carried by theother side of the said frame for supporting the guide bar and formaintaining the latter in engagement with the bearing plates to hold thepinions in mesh with the rack bars.

12. A poultry singer including a horizontal rail support, hangers formountingthe rail support,

a rail carried by the said support in spaced relation with the same, aconveyor chain located below the rail and having trelleys arranged torun thereon, spaced approximately inverted U- shaped frames secured tothe rail support and ex-v tending over the rail and having downwardlyextending sides located at opposite sides of the rail andthe said chain,bearingmembers depending from the 'chain at intervals, shafts mounted onthe bearing members and provided with pinions, a horizontal rack barlocated between the sides of the frames and rigidly supported by thesame inthe path of the pinionsfor rotating the said shafts, and ahorizontal guide bar located at the opposite side of the-bearing membersand yieldably supported by the said frames for engaging the bearingmembers to maintain the pinions in mesh with the rack bar.

13. The method of singeing a poultry carcass which consistsin firstremoving the feathers, suspending thepoultry carcass from an overheadconveyor and then subjecting the carcass to the action of a fixed flameby causing the carcass to pass through the flame rotatably.

ANSON W. DE VOU'I.

